Photographic stage setting



Dec. 6, 1932. v A. GROT 1,890,053

PHOTOGRAPHIC STAGE SETTING Filed June 29, 1951 2. Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR. AN TON 6301',

ATTORN YS.

Dec. 6, 1932. A Q 1,890,053

PHOTOGRAPHI 0 STAGE SETT ING Filed June 29, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 fig. 5 INVENTOR. ANTON GROI A TTOR E YS.

l etd bee 193;;

f This inyention relatesitostage settingsfor photographic purp ses and particularly to sioninlnotionpicture setslff4. a a a Thefprincipal fobject of flthe invention a is to l provide"an improved ceiling drop for stage a 3 sets Whichtheshapeanddisposition of the n drop co-operates with the lighting system :so as to pi'oduce; ini'the photographic register a Qtr'ue and conipleteceilingi illusion;Q a A further object offth inyentioniis t'o pro-' j videyc a ceiling illusion construction of y such'shapeand suchidispositionasLto produce 1 "the desired effect without interfering with 115{ the lighting, fromaboyel i :11 A; further-obj ectlofthe invention is to pro- Videai qgilin g illusion drop substantially yerr; tically disposedIrearwardlyof the side and 1fear walls of astagersettingi and having a horizontally concave and a :ve'rtically convex surface disposed toward the ca1nera, wl1ereby i a p" fabrupti i h eflee i s s a h gas are offered by plane structures are avoids ed and asatisfactory illumination ofjthe ceilingfdrop topi'odiice the desire'delfectiisipossiblef "1 1 i j-., W-hen interior stagese ngsiareg used in a photography, and pa rtifcnlarly inmotion pic- 3 ture photographlyfit is "customary to illumi nate" such wetti g-from above; which case it isnotpossible too hare a; ceilin'gfoyerthe seti 3 Without I seriously interfering with the ileefi t we or kent l il n iby mea 4910f vvertical prolongations Qffthe sideand rear I possible Ito satisfactorilyfilliiininate llsuch surfacesgto give the desired effect; a i The adyantagesfof bein'g able" to nro ijst'age settings garepmanifoldis a low levele and fshotsi an upward V direction" to rodae eg e'rttedieseet'; r -fe e re q er fiec prod c d i improved means forproducing a ceiling illuthe; stage setting i '{liirninationa Ithas,beenLgeneifal practiceto I3 dispose the camera inlslich position and at i suchanglewith respject to theset-that the ceil- Nmnerous attemptshaye been rnade to convey i p I I fth ereon:byreason of thefact that the inter-- walls of the set, butit has been? lfjfmlnd ItQ be a ti-be effectiofq a ceiling jin pictur'ej Fries ANTONLQIRQTQE isnnn rwoon HEIGHTS, QAIJFQRLHA homqa unm TA snir'rinq 1931. seriaino. 547,559.

' terfering with the foregrounddetail. VVith the use'of a ceiling drop of the present irn Vention, however, itis possible to takesuch fshots and include the ceiling structure in a complete illusion so that the finished picture conveys the impression that thesetting is actually a clos'ed room; 'i v a The structure of the present invention'may comprise; for example,- incombination with a a stage setting-having rear and side walls a ceiling drop disposed rearwardly ofsaid walls with respect to the camera, and extending above the upperedge of said walls in P such position as to beexposed to the field of View of the camera." The ceiling illusion drop is preferably curved forwardly toward the camera laterally each side of the center of 7 said drop and extends laterallyoutside the horizontal held of the 1. camera. The drop is preferably also provided with a forwardly disposed vertically convex surface at the centeroportion thereof which may decrease in convexity from said center portion tc'th'e edgeaportions, n i i a The horizontalconcavity of the droppro- Vides fol a lateral diffusion of any light which falls thereon by reasonof the fact that the intersection of'any horizontal plane with said surface is substantiallya curved line at all points onthe surface of said drop; :'The Vertical, convexity of the drop provides for vertical diffusion of any light 7 which falls aLi' section of anyverticalplane with said surface is'substantially a curved line at all points thereonl lheabove described vertical con vexity'co-operates'with the horizontal con-z cavity to obtain surface substantially free p I p I q Qof plane reflecting surfaces andyshar p survantage is; that'the-caniera rnay: c -placed at facediscontinuities, whereby the drop may be illuminated without offering: any, harsh 4 a vertically convex surface curvature.

f Fig. 5;illustrajtes the appearance ofthe I stage setting on the: photographic register C whentaken' from the point,\0 ,",with that :portionof the stage settingwhich is: outside dicate the position ofthevarious partsof the ;1 structurelfiItwill be seen that theceiling il-jy at a inFig.-6, provides acomplete ceiling 1 effect, withoutqin the:least-interferinga with the properilluminatio Iof'the set by the filightin systemz l of the presentfinvention ingwhich theydrop ,Tnextends substantially completely around the l i I 'threeiwalls 16 of the set so pas tofheincluded f "in the camera fieldnfr'om any on ofa plu i rality of differentfcamera positions or Fcamera angles such as C, D,RE,;F, andiG.

Fig.8 illustrates ayfornr' ofceiling illusion dropof the present inventionjinwhich the top andibottom membersjllmgand vertical support members 134;; but is provided with' i end members suchlas 111a?(corresponding in ippsi n an s rilj m ti ity. t 16, g

tom; In this case, the flexible drop'material 1' 10a, secured topfand'bottoni to 1 the horizonf tally concave frameworlr'membersllain the same manner as in the structure illustrated in; Fig.:v4,[is provided witha vertically conil veXcurvature' at the :end'portions ofthe drop if structure whenstretchedarid secured to said convex end members in any su table manner,

as byxmeansjof battens l laflfl y a a ,;'lhe ab ,vestructureprovides.a ceiling illusioli drop having a surface oflstrongly convex vertical curvature atfthe cienter portion ceiling drop ofjthe present invention allows ma y: w Ph og phi fiet' lxwi; 0-

,jtained, andgreatly increases the illusion of reality insuch sets. f WVhere previously it was i consideredjprefe'rable toconfinejthelcamera j field to por ion of the'setsfinfwhi ch the can; ging 'didfinot' appear, or 'at vlleastj to provide pear d e m s ry o tlyr gh to a'lset in which, aiceilingfw'as"absolutely esa sential; to a certain feffect, it lis now possible,

with the us'e'of a structure of the present inv'ention; to includef a ceiling ,ijn; tr mme ;fieldwith theconventional li'g-htingsysteins at a greatly! reduced,constructioiricost, andkattain an illusionwhichhasjrieverbeen socom pletelyjf obtainedflvvith; an .Q lighting and set structures Claimsz" the camer'affield shown'inrdotted linesto inlusion drop, provided graduated shading as, for. example, after the m nner shown having ja convex curvature fifrom"topto bot- 1 thereof and a surface of lesserfconvex verti cal curvature at th eelld portionsthereof; H It is readily apparent" that the improved i i-sls'A' te flsf t ns dr lphio ogr pi i r -t v f poses comprising a ceiling illusion drop having a horizontally concave surface disposedtoward'said camera.

2, A stage setting for photographic purposes comprising a ceiling illusion drop having a horizontally concave and vertically convex surface disposed toward said camera.

3. In a stage setting for photographic purposes, a construction as set forth in claim 2,

said ceiling illusion drop comprising a frame structure having end members, and also having horizontal top and bottom members whose end portions are curved forwardly toward the camera, a sheet of flexible ma- .terial secured to said membersand, having the portion thereof adjacent its horizontal center line stretched laterally so as to cause such portion to assume a surface of less horizontal concavity than the top and bottom portions, and thus provide a vertical I convex curvature of the-surface of said sheet.

4. A stage settingfor use with a photographic camera, comprising aplurality of side wall surfaces, a ceiling drop disposed 'rearwardly of'said wall surfaces with respect to the point of location of said camera and extending vertically and laterally outside i the optical field vof sa'idcamera.

5.-In a stage setting for photographic purposes, a construction as set forth in claim 4, said drop having a horizontally concave surface disposed toward said camera.

6. In 'a' stage setting for photographic purposes, a construction as set forth in claim and vertically convex surface disposed toward'said camera.

7. In a stage setting for" photographic purposes, a construction as setiforth in claim 4c,sa1d drop having a horizontally concave V, and vertically convex surface, disposed toward said camera, sald convex surface being ofgr'eater convexity at the center portion of said drop than at the edge portions thereof 1?;

sheet. i a

8. A stage setting for photographic purposes provided with illuminating means comprising a ceiling illusion drop having a horizontally concave and vertically convex surface disposed forwardlythereof, said il- I posedso that little or no light from'said illuminatingrneans falls directly upon said drop, said drop being illuminated substantially by reflection from the illuminated stagesetting structure.

luminating means and saiddrop being co-dis- In testimony whereofI have hereunto subscribed my name this 22nd day of June, 1931.-

ANTON GROT. 1

"combination tr l i0; 4, said drop having a horizontally concave 

